Adjustable supporting leg



April s, 1952 T, A, BARHAM, SR 2,591,999

ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING LEG Filed oct. 21, 1949v Patented pr. 8, 1952UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE SUPPORTING LEG l`Theophilus A.Barham; Sr., Norfolk,'va. YApplicationOctober 21, 1949,` SerialNo.1l22,706

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel construction of an adjustablesupporting leg capable of being used as a supporting leg for a table,chair, ironing board or any other member or object to be supported in anelevated position relatively toa sup- Y porting surface and which may bereadilyextended for supporting a table top or other member at differentelevations.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an extensibleleg which is :so constructed that it may be readily extended orretracted Without tightening or loosening any `fastenings and by merelygrasping one leg section with one hand and the other leg section withthe other hand for quickly and easily extending will be maintained thuslocked by the weight of a member supported thereon to positively preventaccidental collapsing of the leg.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an extensiblesupporting leg of extremely simple construction which may beeconomically manufactured and sold and'which may be utilized either as arigid leg or as a'fo'lding leg.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention willhereinafterbecome more `fully apparent from the following description of thedrawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein: Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the adjustable leg in a partlyextended rposition and operatively arranged with respect to a portion ofa surface or platform to be supportedthereby;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view looking toward the inner side `ofthe adjustable leg;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan View looking toward the inner side of thelowerend of the upper leg section and with the lower leg section removedtherefrom;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the lowerleg section, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal `sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Referring more specifically .to the drawing, the extensible leg in itsentirety which comprises the invention is designated generally 6 and iscomposed of an upper leg section 1 and a lower leg Section 8. The legsections 1 and 8 are channel shaped in cross section and said lower legsection 8 is sufficiently smaller than the upper leg section 1 tcslidably engage in the channel thereof and is assembled therewith sothat the channel of the lower leg section 8 opens inwardly of thechannel of the larger,'upper leg section 1. as best illustrated inFigures l and 5.

The upper leg section 1 is provided with two longitudinally spaced strapmembers 9 and Ill which extend across the open side of the channelthereof. The strap member 9 is located adjacent the lower end of the legsection 1 and the strap member l0 is located near to but spaced fromsaid lower end. The strap members 9 and Ill may be secured to the legsection 1 in any suitable manner and preferably form a part of ferrulesIl and l2, respectively, which are disposed around the leg section 1 andsecured thereto in any suitable manner as by welding, as indicated ati3. The lower strap member 9 is provided with an integral extension orlip I4 which projects from its lower edge, between the side walls of theleg section 1 and which extends downwardly from the strap member 9 andhas an inwardly offset free end portion l5, for a purpose which willhereinafter become apparent.

Aleaf spring I6 is disposed in the channel of the leg section 1 andlongitudinally thereof and has one end secured to the bed portion ofsaid channel in any suitable manner as by welding, as seen at I1,substantially beneath the upper strap member IU. The other, free end ofthe spring l5 extends toward the lower end of the leg section 1 and isoutwardly bowed with respect to the channel thereof and terminates in aninwardly curved free end I8 which is disposed closer to the bed of saidchannel than an intermediate portion of the spring i6, as seen in Figure5.

The lower leg section 8 is provided with a series of longitudinallyspaced openings I9 in the bed portion 20 thereof and which openings areelongated in a direction transversely of said leg section 8. The upperend of the bed portion 20 Vis provided with an integral extension 2|which is bent to extend inwardly therefrom and which is of a length toextend beyond the edges of the sides 22 of said leg section 8, as bestillustrated in Figure 4.

The extension 2| prevents the leg section 8 from being applied to orremoved from the leg section 1 through the lower end of the channel ofsaid leg section 1 and accordingly the leg section 3 'I must be longerthan the leg section 8 so that the extensible lower leg section 8 may beinserted into the leg section I above the strap I and similarly removedtherefrom. As the leg section 8, after being applied as aforementionedto the leg section 1, is slid downwardly relatively to the leg section'I it will compress the spring I6 to cause said spring to yield towardthe bed portion of the leg section 1. Accordingly, the leg section 8 maybe extended or retracted relatively to the leg section 'I by grippingone of the leg sections with each hand and with the hand grasping thelower leg section 8 holding said section near its lower end and pressingit toward the leg section 'I to cause the leg section 8 to fulcrumVrelatively to the leg section l on its extension 2I, as' illustrated indotted lines in Figure 5, so that the bed portion 20 of the leg section8 Will clear the lip I4 to enable the leg section 8 to be readilyextended or retracted. With one of the openings I9 `in registry with thelip I4, the manual pressure on the leg section 8 is released allowingthe spring IB to rock the leg section 8 on the fulcrum provided by theextension 2I away from the lower end of the leg section 'I and so thatthe lip I4 will pass through the selected opening I9 with which italigns. By then resting the leg 6 on a supporting surface such as afloor, as indicated at 23, the leg section 8 will be displaced upwardlyslightly relatively tothe leg section 'I until its upward movement isstopped by the lip I4 engaging the bottom edge of said selected openingI9. With the parts thus disposed, as illustrated in Figure 5, the offsetlower end I5 of the lip I4 will engage the inner side of the bed 20 toprevent accidental disengagement of said lip I4 from the selectedopening I9 and so that the leg 6 will be locked in an extended positionuntil the sections thereof are grasped and initially drawn outwardly ofone another and rocked to the dotted line position of the leg 8 ofFigure 5. Accordingly, it will be readily apparent that the weightsupported by the leg 6 will effectively function to retain said leglocked in an extended position and any amount of frictional contact ofthe lower end of the leg with a floor or supporting surface 23. whichmight occur, would not unlock the leg and allow it to assume a retractedposition. The extension 2I in addition to functioning as a fulcrum, aspreviously described, holds the upper end of the lower leg section 8away from the bed of the upper leg section 1 so that the leg sectionswill be disposed substantially in alignment when in an extendedposition, as illustrated in full lines of Figure 5.

The leg 6 is illustrated in Figure 1 as being hinged as seen at 24 atthe upper end of its upper section I to a member 25 which couldconstitute a part of a table top, chair seat, ironing board or any otherelevated platform or object. Likewise, the leg 6 is shown provided witha jointed brace 26 of conventional construction, so that said leg mayfunction as a folding leg; however, the leg 6 could also obviously berigidly connected to the member 25.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that an extensible leg ofextremely simple construction has been provided which may be quickly andeasily extended or retracted and readily locked in a plurality ofadjusted positions without the use of setscrews, wedges or other formsof clamping means, so as to provide a leg which is quickly extensible orretractable yet which will effectively retain any extended position inwhich 4 it is set and without risk of being accidentally retracted.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventionas hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An adjustable supporting leg formed of longitudinally extensible legsections including an upper leg section and a. lower leg section, saidleg sections being of channel shaped cross section and said lower legsection being sized to slidably fit in the channel of the upper legsection and being disposed therein with the channel portion thereoffacing inwardly of the channel portion of the 'upper leg section, said.upper leg section having a strap member fixed thereto and extendingacross the channel thereof, the bed or bight portion of the lower legsection engaging against the strap'member and be retained therebyagainst movement outwardly of the open side of the channel of the upper4leg section, said bight portion being provided with longitudinallyspaced. laterally elongated openings, and said strap member having anintegral lip projecting downwardly from its bottom edge and having afree end portion inwardly offset with respect to the channel of theupper leg section, said openings being arranged to selectively receivethe lip and the free end portion of said lip engaging against the innerside of the bed or bight portion of the lower leg section for lockingthe leg sections in a plurality of extended positions and to prevent thelower leg section from being retracted relatively to the upper legsection until initially extended to disengage the lip from the openingengaged thereby.

2. An adjustable leg as in claim 1, and a spring disposed between theleg sections for displacing said leg sections laterally away from oneanother and for urging said lip through a selected opening of the lowerleg section.

3. An adjustable leg as in claim 1, said lower leg sectionvhaving anextension at its upper end projecting to beyond the sides of said lowerleg section and engaging the bed or bight portion of the upper legsection for maintaining the leg sections in alignment when an opening ofthe lower leg section is engaged by said lip and on which the lower legsection may fulcrum relatively to the upper leg section for disengagingthe lower leg section from said lip or for engaging it therewith.

4. An adjustable leg as in claim 1, a spring disposed between the legsections for displacing said leg sections laterally away from oneanother and for urging said lip through a selected opening of the lowerleg section, said lower leg section having an extension at its upper endprojecting to beyond the sides of said lower leg section and engagingthe bed or bight portion of the upper leg section for maintaining theleg sections in alignment when an opening of the lower leg section isengaged by said lip and on which the lower leg section may fulcrumrelatively to the upper leg section for disengaging the lower legsection from said lip or for engaging it therewith.

5. An adjustable leg as in claim 1, and a leaf spring disposedlongitudinally of and secured at one end to the bed or bight portion ofthe upper leg section and located in the channel thereof, said leafspring having an outwardly bowed portion spaced from its opposite, freeend for engaging the bed or bight portion of the lower leg sectionfor'urging said lower leg section toward the strap member.

6. An extensible supporting leg formed o! an upper leg section and alower leg section, said leg sections being of channel shaped crosssection and said lower leg section slidably tting into the channel ofthe upper leg section and opening in wardly thereof, said upper legsection having a strap member extending across the open side ;of thechannel thereof for retaining the lowerleg section against movementoutwardly of the open side of the upper leg section, the bed or bight 1portion oi said lower leg section having spaced openings, and said strapmember having an integral lip projecting from its bottom edge andincluding an inwardly olfset free end portion, said lip being sized toextend through any one of said openings and the inwardly oset lower endthereof 8 engaging the inner side of the bight portion o! the lower legsection for locking the leg sections in any one of a plurality ofextended positions. THEOiHlLUS A. YBARHAM, Sa.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are o! record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

